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Thanksgiving travelers reminded to drive safely
The extended Thanksgiving weekend is one of the top travel periods of the year and the Department of Public Safety reminds travellers to pack their patience and obey traffic laws.
"We want you to get to your destination safely," said Col. Stan Clark, interim DPS director. "Be patient. There will be a lot of other families traveling, and traffic is likely to be congested. Leave yourself plenty of time to get where you're going, and drive friendly. Slow down, buckle up and drive sober."
According to DPS, all available troopers will patrol Texas highways for drivers exceeding posted speed limits, driving while intoxicated or not using safety restraints.
Last year, during the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, DPS troopers wrote 10,426 citations for speeding and made 400 arrests for driving while intoxicated, the DPS said. They also arrested 34 minors for driving under the influence of alcohol.
They wrote 1,026 citations for seatbelt violations and 358 for child restraint violations. DPS has a no-warnings policy for seat belt and child restraint violations.
Troopers are participating in Operation CARE-Combined Accident Reduction Effort-a nationwide effort by police agencies to reduce fatalities on major interstate highways during holiday weekends.
With a large number of travellers on the highways, DPS encourages drivers to allow themselves plenty of time to reach their destinations and to avoid bad driving habits that lead to road rage.
>> Not using turn signals
>> Driving in the passing lane
>> Tailgating, flashing lights or honking
>> Using high beams in traffic
>> Not allowing adequate time for a given trip.
When confronted with aggressive drivers, DPS recommends that you:
>> Put your pride in the back seat and move aside.
>> Do not speed up, block lanes, slam or tap on brakes.
>> Report extreme cases of reckless driving to the appropriate authorities when the incident occurs.
>> Do not retaliate, gesture or make eye contact.
>> Make sure everyone is buckled up.
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